Dunes and gloom: MBS’s annus horribilis

About this episode

<p>This week, <u><a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2026/10/19/everything-is-going-wrong-for-muhammad-bin-salman?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Muhammad bin Salman</a></u>, crown prince of Saudi Arabia, was forced to postpone his annual investment summit. His other big bets on the kingdom’s future are also floundering. <u><a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2026/10/01/effective-altruism-is-this-centurys-biggest-idea?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Sam Bankman-Fried</a></u>, a crypto-billionaire supporter of effective altruism, calls our correspondent from prison. And things look <u><a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2026/10/14/can-asian-governments-prevent-a-food-shock?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">hazy</a></u> in Singapore and other Asian countries. </p><p>Guests and host:</p><ul><li>Gregg Carlstrom, Middle East correspondent</li><li>Shera Avi-Yonah, US business correspondent</li><li>Vishnu Padmanabhan, Asia correspondent</li><li>Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”</li><li>Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”</li></ul><p>Topics covered: </p><ul><li>MBS, Saudi, Davos in the desert, Future Investment Initiative</li><li>Sam Bankman-Fried, FTX, effective altruism</li><li>Indonesia, Singapore, wildfires, El Niño</li></ul><p><em>Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—<u><a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">subscribe to The Economist</a></u>.</em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>